Beverage
Wake up to a comforting vegan pumpkin spice latte without even getting out of your pjs – it’s dairy free, vegan, low sugar, and can be made hot or iced. Plus it’s made in your crockpot overnight so it’s entirely fuss-free – just like a perfect fall latte should be.
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Fall. It’s all everyone is talking about. The calendar has rolled over into a new month and Labor Day weekend is behind us. Apparently that is a more significant signal of a season change than say, the actual changing of the weather.
There are no crisp fall mornings cropping up. The leaves aren’t beginning to turn. My jeans and scarves simply make me sweat more instead of keeping me cozy and comfortable.
But as with most things, people seem to be in a rush to push time along. There’s been talk of Halloween, pumpkins, apples, and hot toasty drinks.
Do you know what I’m getting at? The ubiquitous pumpkin spice latte. It’s all up in my face. You can’t escape it. Only I wish I could because I think it’s revolting.
Yes, I, lover of lattes and all things pumpkin, hate the artificial combination of coffee and pumpkin.
But give me real pumpkin. Cinnamon sticks. Cloves. Freshly ground coffee beans. This vegan pumpkin spice latte has all of that – plus it’s dairy free!
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte
This comforting vegan pumpkin spice latte is not only a dairy free version of the popular PSL, but it's made right in your crockpot overnight - wake up to the delicious comfort of a latte without getting out of your pjs.
-
4
cups
almond milk or coconut milk
{I used Silk PureAlmond Vanilla Unsweetened}
-
1/4
cup
pumpkin puree
heaping
-
2
Tbsp
vanilla
-
1
Tbsp
pumpkin pie spice
-
1
Tbsp
sweetener such as maple syrup or molasses, plus additional as desired
-
Strong brewed coffee or espresso
2 Tbsp coffee grounds per 6 oz water
-
Coconut whipped cream, optional
recipe below
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Combine milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla, spices, and sweetener in slow cooker.
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Feel free to add cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, or a vanilla bean for added “oomph”.
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Cook on low 2-3 hours, or on “warm” setting overnight.
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Serve with hot or iced coffee. Try 1/2 cup brewed coffee with 3/4 cup pumpkin spiced milk or adjust as desired.
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Top with maple coconut whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
That I can get on board with.
I’m especially a fan of this at home version of the pumpkin spice latte for 2 reasons: 1. I can drink it! Alternative milks are increasingly popular, but until Starbucks moves beyond traditional cow’s milk and soy milk, I’m out. By making it at home I can use almond or coconut milk. 2. It makes itself overnight. Yeah, that’s right. Slow cooker to the rescue, yet again.
We’re a milk free household and have been since long before baby allergies were an issue. I tend towards the almonds and coconuts of milk, while the husband prefers soy. I don’t think cow’s milk is a necessary part of our diet and it’s easy to replace since there are so many available options. Silk has soy, almond, and coconut milks in a plethora of varieties. They also have a fruit version that I want to try as soon as I can have soy again.
I like to stick with the original unsweetened versions of these dairy alternatives, but for this recipe I decided to give the vanilla almond milk a try. {Side note: the dark chocolate almond milk is INSANE. This comes from a non-lover of chocolate.}
I mulled my almond milk with the traditional plethora of fall flavors: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, vanilla, and a hint of maple. I let it simmer on super-low overnight, awakening to the most amazing smells wafting up the stairs. It may be muggy and humid, but at least until I open the door, it’s fall for a few stolen moments. Infant in one arm, strongly brewed coffee in the other, I poured my steamed spiced milk into an oversized mug and applauded myself for playing the role of both sleep-deprived mom and barista all before 6am.
I even thought far enough ahead to freeze some coffee + almond milk ice cubes for a refreshing iced coffee version when the full force of it’s-still-summer-reality hits me later in the day.
- 1 can coconut milk, chilled
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
Drain liquid from coconut and add solid portion to a chilled mixing bowl.
Whip on high until peaks start to form.
Add in maple syrup and vanilla. Adjust sweetener to liking.
Serve over pumpkin spice lattes with a sprinkle of cinnamon for the perfect fall treat.
Feel free to toss your brewed coffee into the Crock Pot with your milk and spices so you have even less to do in the morning. I prefer to keep the milk separate so I can decide on my own coffee-to-milk ratios depending on whether I’m serving it hot or cold, or so I can use the delicious milk concoction for other fabulous fall-inspired meals, like this breakfast quinoa I devoured this morning.
Not a coffee fan? {Gasp! The horror!} Try this latte with brewed chai tea or as a base for hot chocolate instead. Mmmm.
This pumpkin latte recipe would be delicious served along side of a Starbucks-inspired pumpkin scone!
Originally sponsored by Silk.
[Tweet “Easy overnight pumpkin spice latte #psl #vegan”]
Are you in the pumpkin spice latte fan club? When do you consider it actually fall?
Recipe
The first time I tasted a spoonful of homemade apple butter I knew I’d unleashed a monster. A fruit-butter making monster. The possibilities are endless; the choices loomed in front of me. Pear. Apple. Pumpkin. Plum. Cranberry.
The apple butter was just too good to stray too far from for my first variation. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it! But I did want to mix it up a little. I had some cranberries leftover from the holiday season and thought their tangy tartness would make the perfect complement to the sweet, rich apple flavor.
I was right. It’s good stuff.
And still super easy. Cranberries can be scary to quick with since they pop and explode, but stick them in a slow cooker with a lid and you’re perfectly safe from rupturing berries.
by Heather Neal
Keywords: slow-cooker snack vegan vegetarian
- ~4 apples {I used Gala}
- 1 cup whole cranberries
- 1 cup no sugar added cranberry apple juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cloves
Dice apples- leave skins on.
Put apple and cranberries in crock pot, cover, and cook on high ~4 hours.
Add in juice & spices. Feel free to adjust spices to taste.
Cook another 4 hrs on high. When it looks like apple sauce, use immersion blender to puree apples.
Continue cooking with lid slightly ajar until apples have thickened and darkened {aka caramelized}.
Note: all slow cookers are different- keep an eye on yours as you may need more or less time, or to use high or low heat.
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Do you have a favorite fruit butter? What should I make next? 
Recipe
I had grand plans this fall. I knew I’d be making the drive to Maryland in mid-November to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, and I knew I’d be getting pretty pregnant by then {aka I’d need to stop a lot}. Charlottesville, which is almost exactly half way between my two destinations, also happens to be the home of a pick your own apple orchard.
I grew up somewhat near a pick your own farm and loved going up every season to pick whatever fruit or vegetable was ripe. Apples are one of my favorite things to pick because they’re a) delicious and b) the waxy coating from the grocery store varieties gives me the skeevy jeevies.
Breaking up the drive with a stop at the apple orchard sounded like the perfect solution: a chance to get outside and walk around, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and load up on bushels and bushels of apples.
There was only one kink in my plan. Apple season ended in October. Gah!
So grocery store apples it is this year. But that didn’t stop me from stocking up. I had visions of apples dancing in my head for months. First and foremost on the list: apple butter. {Apple pie was a close second.}
I love apple butter. Had I known all these years how easy and insanely delicious homemade apple butter is, I’d probably have turned into a big giant puddle of the stuff by now.
Let me summarize the process for you:
Cut up apples.
Dump in crockpot.
Walk away for a few hours.
Stick an immersion blender in the pot for a couple seconds.
Add some juice and spices.
Walk away for a few more hours.
The end.
Seriously. Again, slow cooker to the rescue– it does all the work while I go about my business. Meanwhile the house fills with the most delicious, irresistible apple and spice aromas.
And now I’ve unleashed a monster. I foresee many a apple butter concoctions in my future: cranberry…plum…pumpkin…chipotle…pear…
Maybe I should finally learn how to can. Although judging by the rate I went through this batch, I won’t need to. I put it on everything in sight- English muffins with peanut butter, apple pancakes, oatmeal…heck I even ate it by the spoonful.
by with a Side of Sneakers
- 7-8 apples {I used Gala & Fuji}
- 1 cup no sugar added juice {I used cranberry pomegranate}
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cloves
Dice apples- leave skins on.
Put apple in crock pot, cover, and cook on high ~4 hours.
Add in juice & spices. Feel free to adjust spices to taste.
Cook another 4 hrs on high. When it looks like apple sauce, use immersion blender to puree apples.
Continue cooking with lid slightly ajar until apples have thickened and darkened {aka caramelized}.
Note: all slow cookers are different- keep an eye on yours as you may need more or less time, or to use high or low heat.
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You can bet I’ll know to get my butt to the apple orchard before October next year.
Recipe
This Crockpot oatmeal is a great make ahead breakfast. Just put the ingredients in the Crockpot and you have overnight oatmeal ready and waiting in the morning. It’s a great gluten-free breakfast too!
One of the most common reasons for people skimping on the all-important breakfast is time. People just don’t have time to cook a breakfast when they’re scrambling to get 1,000 other things done in the morning before they head out the door.
Although that doesn’t have to be your excuse.
9 times out of 10, I have oatmeal for breakfast. 9 times out of 10 it takes less than 3 minutes until I’m eating it. And that includes steel cut oats.
I used to think I was being all smart and fancy by soaking my steel cut oats overnight and then microwaving them for 6 minutes in the morning. Still a pretty quick breakfast, but this happened more than occasionally:
Steel cut oats are what you have before the oat grain is rolled and smashed into the flake most of us are familiar with- the part that makes oatmeal cook so quickly and easily. But steel cut oats are just as easy to prepare, and are even better for you since they’re in a more whole form.
My trick? A big batch of steel cut Crockpot oatmeal – then I’m set for the week and have no excuses not to eat a healthy breakfast. This overnight oatmeal is so simple it’s not funny.
Crockpot Oatmeal || Easy Overnight Oatmeal
1 cup steel cut oats {gluten free oats if necessary}
2 cups almond milk
2 cups water
cinnamon
Put everything in the slow cooker before you go to bed- turn it on low, sleep, and when you get up, you have perfectly cooked, creamy, steel cut oats. A great gluten free breakfast that’s dairy free too.
Eat them hot and fresh the first day, then store them in the fridge. For the rest of the week you can just pull out what you want to eat, add a little almond milk, and pop them in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir and you’re done.
Feel free to add in your favorite mix ins, like dried fruit or nuts, to your big batch of oats before you cook them. I like waiting until afterwards so I can make them different every morning.
[Tweet “Have breakfast ready & waiting in the morning with these Crockpot steel cut oats. #fitfluential”]
Like today’s peaches and cream oats:
Steel cut oats topped with warm almond milk, sliced peaches, chopped pecans, and drizzled with honey.
How’s that for breakfast in less than 3 minutes?
What’s your favorite quick-fix, no hassle breakfast?
